Vacuum system.



F. W. MILLER'. vAcuuM SYSTEM.V APlfLlCATIOI( FILED .|Ul;Y12\ |916.

. patented July 30,1918.A

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1 l Toa-llv whom it may cam/fern.'y

' Be it known that I, FRANK W. Minnen, a

citizen of the United States, residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tategof Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vacuum Systems, of which the followin is a specification.

This invention um systems or means for creating avacu'- um for any desired purpose, and while.A I have illustrated in the-present application a system particularly-adapted forvacuum cleaning purposes, it 'should befunderstood that my'invention is capable of use'in many' places where the creation o'r maintenance of a vacuum is desirable.J One of theprimary objects'of my present invent1on,'is to provide a system which will be capable of creat-4 "1 r ing and maintalning a highvacuumwith'af minimum expenditureA of power.-

Another object of my inventonisto 'pro-` -vide a vacuum creating device which shall employ aliquid seal around the rotating or enables the member to create and maintain a e vacuum creating member whereby a sub# stantially hermetic seal is provided which high vacuum without leakage.

Still another object lof my invention is to provide. a system particularly adaptable for vacuum cleaning purposes which willbe en tirely sanitary, since my invention contemplates mixing the dust laden air with-water carry disease germs or bacteria "willnot be returned from the machlne tothe living -in construction, cheap to manufacturel and economical to operate, and which will be easy to install and' will occupy only a small amount of space. A. 1

' lOther objects and many of the attendant advantages of my invention will be readily. appreciated as the same becomes betterunderstood by referenceto the following description whenA 'considered in .connection Awith the..accompa nying drawings.

On the drawings the sngleigure illus'- trates a. sidejel'evationv partlally in section of a vacuum system embodying my inven- Referrin" A to the drawings "reference 'char-,-

' .'55" acter'1,"in icates an electric motor r`of ates in general-to vacu'- than vacuum cleaning, t

, the air passlln' suitable construction adaptedtc be support-- ed by bracket (2) which may beattached to a wall or to vany convenient means of supl port. The lower end of the motor shaft-is directlycohnected with a vertical shaft (3)', the lower end of which is set in a bearing (4)', the weight of the shaft A being carried by antiffrictlon ball bearings (5),'support- 1 ed' upon the top (6)- of` a suitable casing. The casingY comprises side walls (7), and a bottom (8)"pr'ovidedl with a central openin (9) `belowl which a sediment `collector (11 iszinounted,l the lower end ,of the sediment icollector 'being provided with, a/removable plug (12). which when removedwill permit 4the 4discharge of the contents pf the receptacle (11).

An inlet pipe (13) connected at one end to the casing near its bottom, is ada ted to Abe attached at its other end to a ose (not the system isl to be used will e obvious {or pur oses other e connected with that the pipe (13) will any receptacle, mechanism or device in which it is desired't create a vacuum 4orto4 which suction is to be applied. To the. op- A.posite end of the cas'ng, a discharge pipe (145) is connected which preferably v1s connected to discharge into the sewer, sc that whatever'is drawn into the casing through the pipe (13) is delivered through the dis` Y v charge pipe (14) 'to the sewer.

A water tank (15) is'mounted'in proximity -to the casing in any suitable manner and water is supplied to the tankthrough a pipe (16) from thefcitvsupply or anysuitable source, the level of water in the tank bemg controlled andmaintained by a float valve (17) adapted to be actuated by a float (18hA The details of construction of the float valve are of minor importance and these structural features may beof any well known or preferred` construction. A siphon (19) the vcrown (21) of which is exposed above the water level in the tank, said level in'- dicated by the'dotted l1ne on the drawing, 1s connected bymeans of a p1 pe (22)' with the pipe (13) so that .when suction is applied to the pi 'e l(13) water willbefdrawn from the .tank v15). thrlouf h the Siphon and'dehvered to the pipel (13,).- omwhich'it is drawn with the casin'g'a'j" epipe (22) is equipped with through..1th e pipe (13)v into 75 shown) which may` be equipped with any preferred type of vacuunl cleaning tool. If

a hand regulating valve (23) by means of which the quantity of water delivered from the tank (15) to the pipe (13) may be regulated. The pipe (13) is provided with a check valve (24) which prevents back flow of air and water through the pipes, thereby precluding water from the tank from going back through the pipe (13) and eventually through the suction tube. As a further precaution it will be noted that the pipe (13) extends above the water level in the tank (15) so that should the valve (2li) fail towork it would be impossible for any water to iow back in the pipe (13) to the suction hose or to the tool to which the 'pipre1 (13) is connected.

e shaft (3) isprovided within the suction chamber with a spiral conveyer which in the present instance is shown as comprising a double spiral blade. 1t willbe observed Vfrom the drawing that considerable clearance is provided between the periphery of the spiral -blade and the surrounding wall (7) of the casing. This clearance prevents any friction between the periphery of the blade and the surrounding casing, and also obviates any danger of dlrt or solid partioiesl collected and drawn in through the pipe (13) from lodging between the conveyer and the casing so as to interfere with the free running and successful operation ci the rotary suction device. li air alone were drawn into the casing through the pipe (13) this clearance would preclude the creation of a high vacuum, but it is for the purpose of edectively sealing this clearance that the water tanlr and connections are provided. The water which is drawn into the casing from the tank (13) is forced by centrifugal action, when the conveyor is rapidly rotated, outwardly against the surrounding walls of they casing, and the quantityl of water admitted is controlled by the valve (23) so that only a suiiicient quantity is admitted to form an effective and a substantially hermetic seal between the periphery of the rotating blade and the surrounding casing walls.

vThe water also being mixed with the dust and dirt laden air in the casing,rtakes` up the dirt so. that it is carried in suspension in the water and is delivered through the discharge pipe (14) together with the air directly to the sewer. The water therefore performs the dual function of taking up the dirt in the air drawn into the device and it also forms a liquid seal around the spiral suction device, which eifectively prevents leakage and renders the suction device highly eiiicient. Furthermore by deliverin the wateri and air directly to the sewer, a

danger occasioned by returning the air which may be laden with germs and bacteria directly to the rooms or dwelling, iS eliminated. Such solid matter as may accumulate within the casing collects into the so that it is capable oi use for many pur-` oses and it should also be obvious that my invention is particularly ada table for use asl a vacuum cleaner, since t e dirt which is drawn into the device with the air is taken up and carried in suspension by the water with which it is discharged from the device directly into the sewer, thus making the device thorou hly sanitaryin its operahave illustrated and de-l tion., While I scribed one practical and preferred embodiment of my invention, it should be understood that the structural details shown and described are capable of considerable modi- Y iication and variation without de arting from the scope ofthe invention as de ed in the following claims.

l claim:

1. A-vacuum system comprising a casing, a rotatable spiral conveyor disposed vertically therein, a sediment collectm receptacle connected with the bottom of said casing an air inlet pipe connected to one end of sai casing? a discharge pipe connected to the opposite end of said casing, and means for deliverincq water or other liquid in regulatedl quantities 'to said air supply pipe.y f

2 A vacuum system comprising a stationary cylindrical casing provided with an air inlet adjacent to one end and a dis charge outlet adjacent to thev other end thereof, a spiral rotary conveyor mounted concentrically within said casing, and means 'for delivering liquid to said casing with the air through said inlet in sucient quantities to maintain a liquid seal around said conveyer and provide a surplus for discharge through said discharge outlet.

3. A vacuum system comprising a stationary vertically disposed cylindrlcal casing, a spiral rotary conveyer mounted concentrically within said casing, a discharge pipe connected tothe upper end of said cassubstantial distance from the casing, an outlet pipe connected to said casing adjacent one'end'thereof, and means for delivering air and a liquid to the other endof said casing, said liquid being delivered in suici ent quantities to maintain a liquid seal around the conveyer and to be discharged together with the air through said outletv pipe.

5. A vacuum system comprising a stationary casing, a spiral suction creating de- Y' vice mounted thereinl and spaced equally `from the surrounding casin throughout its eriphery, means for supp ying alr and a iquid to the intake end of said casing, means for delivering air and liquid from the other end of 'said casing, a portion of the vli uid being maintained `by gravity and ,centri ugal force in the casin to form a liquid seal around said suctlon creatmg v3 0 device.

FRANK W. MILLER.

and 1.5 i 

